Fractional Jet Share Vs Private Jet Membership: a Cost Comparison

Fractional jet share and private jet membership costs both vary by program and provider.

Each setup offers flyers different benefits, drawbacks, and costs. As you may have guessed, some of these relate to:

Flight times

Level of control over your experience

Degree of reliability

Maintenance

Legal fees including ownership and liability documentation

Let’s compare how each private jetting structure works, and outline the costs associated with each, as well as what each one can and can’t offer. Once you know that, you can determine which system is the best private flying structure for you.

How Fractional Jet Share Programs Operate: An In-Depth Exploration

Fractional jet share ownership could be compared to owning a timeshare property. In this arrangement, multiple people share ownership of an aircraft. This lets multiple people enjoy the comfort and lifestyle of flying private while dividing the costs among themselves.

Fractional jet shares, depending on how they are structured, let the owners enjoy access to a private jet without paying the full cost of ownership. This may mean equal portions of business flights, while personal flights are billed personally. Ultimately, it’s up to all parties to determine how they want to set up their shared ownership.

However, this system does mean that you have to manage the schedules of multiple people rather than just your own. There are also complications and questions of liability and maintenance, depending on the structure of shared ownership. Your “blackout days” will have to account for more needs and variables. It’s a workable system that many teams have used for great satisfaction on all parties. You just need to organize it ahead of time.

Newer Private Jet Flying Structures: What You Need to Know

Memberships are a slightly more common form of a private jet program than jet shares. They are like memberships to other luxury services you may have known, such as country clubs. These programs come with shorter time frames and less commitment than fractional ownership programs. Rather than deal with the challenges associated with private jet ownership, these programs let you enjoy flight time as long as you are within the limits of what your membership program allows. Not only that, you get to part ways with the program anytime you like. Fractional ownership puts you on the hook for more than just flying.

These membership programs used to give flyers 25 hours in the air with jets categorized by size.

However, now there are over 250 private jet card providers, giving consumers more variety in what sort of program they have. Here are a few suggestions for some questions you can ask yourself:

What’s the history of the jet company’s ownership?

How big is the company?

Which aircraft does your membership program let you use?

What’s the program’s coverage plan?

Do unused hours get refunded?

Are any dates blacked out for flying? Can you fly at any time of year?

What catering plan, if any, does the program provide?

Are there any special discounts or bundled deals for luxury hotels or event tickets?

Membership jet charters become a sensible option for people when they hit a certain amount of in-air hours per year. While it’s not a scientific measurement, you can refer to a common industry insider recommendation. Once you are flying more than 50 hours per year for business, you can enjoy a far more comfortable experience.

Cost Vs. Quality of Experience: The Attraction of Private Jet Travel

Cost is the only barrier to private jet travel for most people. There is a significant appetite in the market for the type of experience private aviation offers regardless of income level. As a matter of fact, experiential marketing has helped Millennial and Generation Z. era brands like Airbnb and others thrive. Hospitality threads from upscale hotels to hostels are designing their interiors to look good on Instagram, Snapchat, and other digital media platforms.

The Age of Personalization: How the Variety of Flying Programs is Good for Private Aviation

Nothing says more about your personal brand than flying private. The key is to choose an option that fits into your budget and lifestyle, not to mention a level of comfort and familiarity with aircraft. Start by asking yourself what you want out of the experience, and which features are less important.

How to Learn More About Finding the Right Private Jetting Plans for You

Finding the right jetting plan makes the difference between attracting new consumers or not. The private aviation industry is not well understood, specifically how in-reach flying private may be. The brands that communicate this well will emerge victorious in the middle of shifting consumer demographics.

Offland Media is a crack team of marketing experts, aviators, influencers, and videographers. We specialize in helping private aviation brands modernize their marketing efforts through video, content marketing, podcasts, and more. Contact us online, or call us at (800) 604-5193 to learn more.